Inside the Seahawks strategy to draft contenders

Renton, Wash. — John Snyder’s priorities 2026 NFL Draft Fill is exceeded Seattle Seahawks‘ Add the remaining positional needs and their league-low four selections.

The longtime general manager wanted to re-inject the Super Bowl-winning roster with a certain attitude.

It was rooted in a lesson Seattle’s front office learned a decade ago, in the years following the team’s first Super Bowl win in 2013. The franchise eventually drafted players to replace the Legion of Boom-era stars, but by Snyder’s admission, many of them lacked the mentality to win Super Bowls. bowl

So Snyder and coach Mike McDonald began their third draft together, in the wake of Seattle’s win. Super Bowl LXProper competitive wiring was a prerequisite for any prospect they might consider.

It will be a vague theme with them Class of eight. Comments from Snyder and McDonald, as well as conversations with sources inside the draft room, shed light on how the Seahawks reached those decisions, the trades that doubled their overall pick as well as some that fell through, and the common thread of Seattle prioritizing competitiveness.

It started with the backward elections Jadarian price Snyder at No. 32 after being eliminated in an attempt to move out of the first round.

“Great player, outstanding person, competitor,” Snyder said. “He’s a seahawk.”

Among the reasons the Seahawks were so high on Price was that while he had limited production as a pass catcher in college, they believed he had fewer skills as a runner than as a player. He backs up at notre dame, Jeremiah LoveThose who go third Arizona Cardinals. They also saw a high-character figure raised and inspired by single mother Jessica Butler, who was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 12.

“Seeing him — the chemotherapy, all of that — and still overcoming it, I felt like I could overcome anything,” Price said.

MacDonald cited the value of loyalty shown by staying in South Bend despite tempting offers to start for other programs. That meant making significantly less money than he could have made elsewhere, but Price said he wanted to challenge himself to “split reps with the best players in college football … and show that I could do it at the highest level.”

According to sources with knowledge of the selection, Seattle’s other top target was the San Diego State cornerback Chris JohnsonThose who go to the 27th Miami Dolphins After they do business. With Johnson gone, the Seahawks’ options were to take Price at 32 or trade back and hope to land him a few spots later. Negotiate contracts with them Tennessee Titans (No. 35) and New York Giants (No. 37) that falls through both.

Five of the six spots just before Seattle’s pick at 32 changed hands in a flurry of trades, including Tennessee moving to 31. That led to a few nervous minutes in the Seahawks’ draft room, with some fearing the Titans — who had been heavily linked to Love with the fourth pick — were jumping for the lead. There was concern about this too San Francisco 49ers The first pick of the second round could take him; Seattle’s division rivals later drafted running back Indiana Kelan is black In round 3.

with Kenneth Walker III Gone and Zach Charbonnet Expected to miss part of next season ACL surgeryThe running back was easily Seattle’s top need. Like many draft analysts, the Seahawks see a significant gap between Price and the next best backs in this class. According to a source, it is from Washington Jonah Coleman and Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr., two possibilities are seen as potential Day 3 fallbacks if they do not land the price.

With the Vince Lombardi Trophy on display in the Seahawks’ draft room, serving as a reminder of why they’re picking 32nd, Seattle selected Price to close out the first round.

“Great player, great person,” Snyder said. “We thought he had some chance for a minute. They got separated. There were a lot of trades going on in front of us, but he kind of stood alone.”

among the players The Seahawks brought the TCU safety to team headquarters for a predraft visit Bud ClarkWhom they picked 64th.

The Seahawks view these meetings as an important part of their evaluation process, helping them gauge how a prospect may or may not fit. their culture. They don’t always go well.

Snyder told a story about a player who publicly lamented that his time at Seahawks headquarters was longer than scheduled. Apparently not having done much homework on the organization, he thought he was complaining to a staff member. He had no idea it was actually the general manager.

There was no such turnoff when the Seahawks brought in Clark. They knew his ball skills (15 interceptions over the past four seasons), his speed (4.41-second 40-yard dash) and his versatility (he can play nickel and corner) and how those traits would make him a viable replacement option. Kobe Bryant. MacDonald noticed his competitiveness at the Senior Bowl, when it seemed like he stepped up with every one-on-one rep in practice.

The visiting Seahawks are excited about adding another dynamo to their secondary. In Clark, they see a super-charged playing style and spirited demeanor that reminds them of a cornerback. Devon WitherspoonOne of the physical and mental tone-setters of their defense.

“He’s a blast,” Snyder said. “Mike and I were talking about personalities throughout the process. Like, man, what if we put Bud and Spoon in the same room?”

The Seahawks closed out Day 2 by addressing another need in their secondary with Arkansas cornerback. Julian took itA trade with that moved him up to 99th after dropping three spots Pittsburgh Steelers.

While not a burner (he ran a 4.49-second 40-yard dash), Neal is a big corner at nearly 6-foot-2 and 203 pounds, and he plays like it. He began his college career at Fresno State, briefly enrolled at Stanford and then, as Snyder said, decided to challenge himself in the SEC.

Among the reasons Seattle did not give Rick Woolen A second deal was that he wasn’t as good or a tackler as they liked. This is a strength of Neal, who will look to replace Woolen as their No.3.

He radiated confidence and passion as he spoke to reporters during a conference call for the Age. With his voice shaking with emotion, Neal called himself the most physical cornerback in the draft, talking about punching receivers at the line of scrimmage and at one point declaring that the Seahawks are “going backwards this year.”

“He’s got great attributes, he’s got a great work ethic, he’s very competitive, he’s smart,” McDonald said. “These are all elements that we believe will allow him to play better football as his career progresses.”

Saturday morning, Snyder took a tour through the Seahawks’ defensive meeting room, which is converted into a media workspace during the draft.

After trading for GM there was time to kill without a pick in the fourth or fifth round Rashid Shaheed last year

Snyder wore his typical Day 3 attire: a short-sleeved, navy blue button-up with a Seahawks patch on the front and the curse “John” stitched below it. Work shirts, as he calls them, are supposed to be worn by an auto mechanic or repairman. Their back means that there is glitz and glamor in the first round, the blue-collar part of the Day 3 draft.

As Snyder clocked in on Saturday morning, he set out to find trade partners.

Because of the loss of Walker, Bryant, Woolen and outside linebacker Hide Mafe In free agency, the Seahawks are projected to receive four compensatory picks in 2027, giving them 12 selections in all. With that extra capital coming in, Snyder was willing to hit the right opportunity.

It came in the fifth round, as an Iowa guard Beau Stephens was still available. According to sources, some in the organization preferred him over the Georgia Tech guard Kaylan RutledgeWho went to Round 1. Seattle got a better feeling for Stephens the man — he spoke publicly About dealing with anxiety And ADHD early in his college career — after bringing him in to see him.

The Seahawks gave up their own fourth-round pick the following year to move to Cleveland Browns‘ spot at No. 148, where they moved Stephens with the expectation that he would push for the incumbent starter. Anthony Bradford Right guard.

Their sixth-round selection of Kansas wide receiver (No. 199) Emmanuel Henderson Jr. Created with special teams in mind. He was a favorite of coordinator Jay Harbaugh in part because of his ability to drop back and cover A young treeAnother free agent departure.

The 2026 draft was not considered a strong one. The Seahawks received a first-round grade on about 15 players, according to a source — a lower number than usual. Snyder has already mentioned the lack of depth in the later rounds compared to other years.

But the Seahawks were able to find some value on Day 3. They thought Stephens would be gone long ago with the No. 148 pick. They had a fifth-round grade in Toledo. Andre FullerAnother big (6-1, 200 pounds), physical corner they drafted seventh (No. 236 overall). Adding two more picks by trading up, the Seahawks round out their class with Minnesota defensive tackles. Deven Eastern (No. 242) and Arizona cornerback Michael Dansby (No. 255), two players they thought Seattle would have a tough time signing as undrafted free agents considering what they already have at those positions.

As always, the Seahawks suffered some “upsets,” as they call them — players they targeted but missed. of Kentucky CENTRAL LAWwho went 20 spots after Stephens in Round 5, another special teams they wanted.

The boards never lined up for an edge rusher with Oklahoma And Mason Thomas As well as Michigan teammates Derrick Moore And Joyshon Barham Seattle is among the preferred players. The Seahawks still have to replace Mafe in their outside linebacker rotation, the veteran Dante Fowler Jr. — who was coached by defensive coordinator Aiden Durdey in Atlanta and Dallas — is one of their top options in free agency.

The Seahawks addressed every other need in the draft, and they did so with players they believed would bring the mindset of taking the job, not taking a seat.

“They wouldn’t be on our board if we didn’t feel that way,” Snyder said.